Ice Cream/ Travel Blog

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Fifty Licks - Portland, OR

I returned to the PNW in June 2018 after three years! I did get a small scoop at Fifty Licks when I visited in Fall of 2015, but didn’t snap a photo. This time, I made sure to get post material to feature this trendy Portland creamery. There was no line on the Thursday night I was there, and I was able to sample a few of their dreamy flavors. FL does very concentrated and “serious” flavors. I was overpowered by the lavender in their Lavender Mint Chip, and found the Butterscotch whiskey to be too intense so I settled on scoops of the mild Thai Rice and Marbled Halva.   I had never tried Halva so I was definitely curous about that one.  Halva is usually made from tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter. The primary ingredients are nut butter and sugar. Marbled meant this version had some dark cocoa as well (cacao for true Portlandia-philes). To be honest, I could have done with reallyyyy small scoops because I was a bit full already and they are so rich and decadent. I’m pretty sure I left an entire scoop behind. Come on an empty stomach!

Try this Marbled Halva Recipe from the internet!   https://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/marble-halvah/

Travel Tip: Hale Pele Tiki Bar, Portland Cider Company, LoveCraft goth bar, Blue Star Donut, Kachka late night eats, Cascade Sour Room, The Cheese Shop, and Willamette Valley Wineries are Portland must-dos!!

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Molly Moon’s - Seattle, WA

Molly Moon’s seems to be the unanimous local favorite spot for homemade ice cream in Seattle. With a creative giant like Salt n’ Straw in town, that’s saying something. Several locals referred me to Molly Moon’s and I am happy I listened. Easily one of the best customer service experiences (on par with Jeni’s and SNS) but at a better price point. At the Capitol Hill lcoation, I tried the three seasonal ice cream flavors (not the sorbet) as well as the Earl Grey and their proprietary “yeti” flavor... all were marvelous. 

“Inspired by its Spring counterpart Sasquatch, this delicious flavor is made with sweet cream ice cream that's swirled with homemade vanilla bean caramel and tons of homemade yeti granola and Theo chocolate bits.”

I decided on the Caramel Cone Crunch because it was Seasonal and I love a chocolate covered cone crunch! I had just eaten a delicious happy hour pizza at Via Tribunali (highly recommend!!) so I opted for a single scoop for $4.50 (Ha! pictured above you will see that was plenty).  When I cashed out the attendant didn’t charge me for a super cute English Bulldog sticker. <3 I would definitely return here and am sad that I am missing their current seasonal menu, featuring Arnold Palmer sorbet!

Travel Tip: My favorite Seattle Neighborhoods were Fremont and Capitol Hill, and I DEMAND that everyone take the Theo Chocolate factory tour and attend the Fremont Solstice in their lifetime! The Fremont Solstice entailed swarms of nude, body painted locals on bikes, and culminated in a really fun street festival.

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Frisson Soft Serve - Nashville, TN

Frisson (not positive how to pronounce) is a lady-owned ice cream food truck based in Nashville, TN. Here, I am enjoying the Nashvegas - vanilla soft-serve cone with rainbow sprinkles and cotton candy - at the Nashville Rose’ (wine, not flower) Festival. Tasty but fairly pricey for a soft serve cone. I believe this was $6 :X 

I don’t think the photo needs much elaboration :)

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Nutella Cafe - Chicago, IL

Over the Labor Day weekend, I made my first trip to the Windy City. Chicago was really great - good food, good comedy, beautiful architecture and home to one of my favorite airbnbs ever (I was one of the first to book the location and got it for a steal)! I discovered a killer antique store, a great Turkish Breakfast spot, and a craft beer collector’s dream store in the North Center neighborhood. I am now the proud owner of vintage salt cellars, whatever that means.

Back to ice cream - Chicago is a city known for their hot foods such as deep dish and Chicago dogs, so I didn’t have an extensive list going in like I usually do. My travel companions were one of my best friends from Orlando and her very fun girlfriend who had her own priorities for the trip. Oriana mentioned the Nutella Cafe several times per day. It was near our downtown hotel (we split up the trip between North Center and Downtown) and when we walked by it had an insane line, typical of a viral cafe on a holiday weekend... eek. I stayed until Tuesday evening and the crowds all but disappeared after Monday so I was able to stroll right in on Tuesday - Sorry, Oriana.

I tried the two gelato flavors available - Fior di Latte (basically vanilla, topped with Nutella) and of course plain Nutella. It was really indulgent and generously-scooped. Definitely more gelato than anyone needs after spending three hours in an Italian market megaplex. It was mostly smooth with a little freezer burn. No one’s perfect. While I was resistant to it’s gimmicky charm at first, I will say it is worth a stop IF there is no line and chocolate-hazelnut is your thing!

p.s. I will always love you, Eataly. 

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The Phoenix Pharmacy & Soda Fountain - Knoxville, TN

Stopped here en route to Asheville, NC (where I unfortunately did not have any ice cream but made up for it with an abundance of craft beer) and got a scoop of cookies and cream with hot fudge. 

Guys, the hot fudge... it was basically melted milk and dark chocolate and it was gooood.

It was a pricey place - I think this came out to $5 and was rather small, but I had just eaten a bunch of tamales right before so it hit the spot. Must get the fudge!!

Travel tips: Good Golly Tamale is a great Knoxville lunch spot, popular with locals and on yelp. I got two tamales - black bean and cheese, and sweet potato chorizo - with their fresh salsa and a topo chico to wash it down.

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Honorable Mentions: Sprinkles Ice Cream, Multiple Locations

You probably know Sprinkles for popularizing the Cupcake ATM machine. While not primarily an ice cream shop, and an increasingly large chain, Sprinkles does have a small homemade ice cream menu. My favorite of the flavors offered at the 12 South location in Nashville a few months ago was Red Velvet. With their own cupcake pieces blended in a cream cheese base, this scoop competes with my preferred “fancy ice cream chains”, in my opinion. Too bad they don’t stray from the standard flavors more often!

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The Pied Piper Creamery - Nashville, TN

What a bad little ice cream blogger I have been, to wait this long to post about a local spot! The Pied Piper is nestled in the hip 5 points area of East Nashville, in a converted old home. They are known for their “Trailer Trash” - an “everything but the sink” combo of candies in a vanilla base. Their website specifically lists:  Vanilla with Oreo, Twix, Butterfinger, Nestle Crunch, Snickers, M&Ms, and Reese’s Pieces

I’ve had the trash - which is anything but - however, the real MVPs for me are their whacky seasonal flavors. Above, I have a scoop of Thankth Eather Bunny which is a malted milk base with chocolate malted easter egg candies, and Robert Brulee - almond creme brulee. Both were cool original flavors. Their flavor naming conventions are quite cheeky to avoid licensing issues, so you might order “Tag-a-long-a-ding-dong” (described as Vanilla with a certain young “female group” cookie and a peanut butter swirl) and perhaps fill a Girl Scout cookie void... :)

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Strachan’s Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts - Dunedin, FL

“Popcorn, get your popcorn!” - I imagine a carnival barker beckons from inside Strachan’s, nestled in quaint Dunedin... only he means popcorn ice cream. It was my second stop in Dunedin on a trip to see my engaged bestie Lairyn. We walked over after dinner at Casa Tina (awesome TexMex and margaritas) around the corner. I couldn’t resist a scoop each of cotton candy and buttered popcorn (!) ice cream side by side, topped with mini gummy bears - perhaps my favorite candy topping of all time.

This hard packed ice cream in served in a parlour style scoop shop, with all your favorite standards, as well as novelties like buttered popcorn and “Smurf” - blue-dyed vanilla with fluffy white marshmallows. While the suggestion of a savory ice cream deterred some less-adventurous eaters, I was drawn to the featured buttered popcorn, which was balanced between sweet and buttery and was superbly smooth and creamy. I’ve never had a glass of cold milk with my popcorn, but I believe it would have a similar effect. Cotton candy was solid, and I felt like a little kid with gummy bears dancing on top of these carnie-approved flavors. This place is a gem, and walking distance from the lively Dunedin Brewing Company, should you enjoy a pint with your scoops!  

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Hyppo and Peak Season pops - Florida small batch popsicles

Any sane ice cream blogger or general human being who loves ice cream PROBABLY also loves a fresh, gourmet ice pop. I *definitely* do. Before I moved to Nashville, I hit the Winter Park farmer’s market pretty regularly to snag a pop or two from the one woman show that was Peak Season Pops. It was just one little cart on the outside corner of the market when I first discovered them, but before I left (a regular by then), Jana had a small staff and multiple carts. I just learned on facebook that she sold the company late last year and moved to Georgia. Congrats Jana!!

Peak Season had a bunch of stellar flavors but my notable favorites were: Arnold Palmer, Raspberry Honeybell, the lemonade tri-color “Bomb Pop” for July 4th one year, Avocado Lime, and Coconut Cinnamon (basically horcata, pictured above)!

More recently, on a late February trip to Tampa, I tried a peach and pepper pop from Hyppo Pops (I don’t remember the pepper but it was supposedly “spicier than habanero”). It was really refreshing and not too hot, but had a kick. I wish I had the time, money, and hunger to try all of the flavors that sounded appealing, including Champagne Mango, Watermelon Hibiscus, Cucumber Lemon Mint, and more!

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Icesmile - Tampa, FL

My first ever rolled ice cream experience! This hole in the wall is next to the “home of the $12 pedicure” in a Tampa outlet mall, so perhaps uninviting from the outside. Once you step inside, a colorful array of neon post it notes with random sayings on white walls provide a nice touch... and you learn about the locals. Ex. “Kayla waz here”, “Kimmy and Billy 4 Ever”, “IceSmile rocks my socks”, and so on. 

My order: thai tea rolled ice cream base with matcha pocky, mochi, and coconut. Each creation is topped with a LOTTE Koala cookie for added cuteness.Along with being supes adorbs, I enjoyed this confection quite a bit. The cons to this novel idea are: no samples, you can’t get two flavors side by side (only mixed), and it’s one size only which led to me not finishing my “rolls”.

Still, this place is a charmer and I would recommend. Tampa Tip: you have to, HAVE TO go to Cigar City Brewing for a beer flight and 4Rivers BBQ for a six shooter (if you’re into that sort of thing).

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Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream - Los Angeles, CA

This place is right on par with Jeni’s and Salt n’ Straw for unique, edgy flavors and an upscale modern atmosphere. I sampled Honeycomb, Passionfruit layer cake, Vegan Matcha before landing on the seasonal Hazelnut Caramel Brownie. I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE SAMPLE and wish it were socially appropriate to sample everything (I got the vibe their employees were running out of patience with me). My friend Jaden and her friend split the traditional sundae (above) with honeycomb ice cream as the base. It looked awesome and there wasn’t a bite left. VLAIC is a bit pricey, but a nice splurge for an ice cream lover.

Travel tip: They are in the same plaza as UCB Franklin and Sushi Stop, across from the Scientology headquarters, so it is very easy to make an evening out of the trip - which I totally did.

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Great Shakes - Palm Springs, CA

What a straightforward business model! Name business Great Shakes. Make Great Shakes.

At this tiny, family owned ice cream parlor, you will find 25+ milkshake flavors. Each shake is served with a tiny frosted donut (they are solid cakes until the wide straw punches a donut hole, which inevitably is the first thing you drink!). I had a really hard time choosing from their chalkboard menu. Should I have gone with a Date shake - a Palm Springs export and common local menu item? Blueberry Hill sounded awesome too - blueberry, lemon, & lavender - but I ultimately went with a White Chocolate Lavender shake. My co-worker Kristin ordered a Strawberry Malt. We both loved our selections (though I wish I had the stomach to try more). The shakes had a great consistency, the donuts were soft and cakey, and their presentation gets style points from me!

Speaking of style, their website branding is not to be missed - it’s light and humorous in it’s early nineties graphic design (Saved by the Bell and 90210 come to mind): http://www.greatshakes.com/

The young staff was very kind, and took pride in working here. They also let me sample their pineapple soft-serve “dole whip”, which - as a theme park lover - was a welcome treat. 

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Churro Burough - Los Angeles, CA

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet - you haven’t LIVED until you’ve had a freshly made churro ice cream sandwich from this tiny shop! I went with horchata (a popular Spanish rice and cinnamon beverage) sherbet between two soft, decadent made-to-order churro discs. It was messy, next-level sugary, and heavenly, as you’d imagine. 

Do yourself a favor and check it out if you get the chance!!

Travel tip: Brunch at Sqirl for amaaaazing California-fresh avocado and ricotta toasts!

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Snowflake Shavery - Las Vegas, NV

As they say, “What happens in Vegas, ends up on an ice cream blog!” ;)

On my first ever trip to Sin City, I discovered Snowflake Shavery. This unique creamery boasts shaved ice cream (NOT to be confused with rolled ice cream) with many Asian-inspired offerings. I started receiving Japan Crates recently, so I found this superb! There are the standards - chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry, and coconut - alongside cookie butter (think graham cracker), black sesame, taro, and green tea. 

At SS, you choose your ice cream base and size based on an insane, “Big Gulp”-esque model (”small” was 16 oz, presumably to compensate for the air folded in). Your selection, in the form of an ice cream wheel (!!), is placed into a “spinner” that shaves it into thin ribbons - then come the toppings. Above right, is a close up of my black sesame sample so you can get an idea of texture. I was also told to sample the red bean topping - in its pure form. I give Asia credit for the beans-for-dessert concept and, though not bad, it didn’t end up in my cup.

I went with a taro shaved ice cream with chunky lychee syrup, “snowflake sauce” (sweetened condensed milk), and soft white mochi pieces. It.Was.Awesome. I highly recommend this place, and want to casually mention that they are opening to franchising *ahem, Nashville*.

Travel Tip: When in Vegas you MUST do the $50+ Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace, with hte highly suggested $7 unlimited mimosa upgrade. Also, leave the strip and check out Fremont Street at least one evening if you want to meet actual locals and of course, gamble at your own risk...

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Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams - Seasonal Favorites

Hi y’all! One post about Jeni’s is not enough. Jeni and team are so creative and fun and never rest on their laurels. Salted Caramel and Brambleberry Crisp are huge hits for them... did they stop there? No. They release themed collections at least four times a year (four is convenient for the seasonal theme I am going for). Here is a recap of my favorite SeASoNaL JeNi’S fLaVoRs. (forgive me)

Spring - Wildberry Lavender tastes like milk that’s been sitting in a bowl of fruity pebbles. Lemon and blueberries buttermilk fro yo? Yup, gimme a scoop. The blueberries are reduced into a compote and swirled into a bright lemon-y base. 

Summer - my OG fave is Sweet Corn and Raspberry Jam, because jam in any ice cream is awesome, and pulling off a corn ice cream flavor is pretty impressive. Watermelon Buttermilk almost gave SCRJ a run for the money as my #1 Summer delight. It is tart, which is unexpected from over-sweet watermelon and mild buttermilk. Jeni could have taken the easy route and made a simple watermelon sorbet... but of course she rose to the challenge of making a water-based fruit into a creamy confection. Also pictured in the top right: Lemon Ice Box Pie and Ultramarine (intense blueberry) froyo.

Fall - Sweet Potato with Roasted Marshmallows!! ‘Shmallows are hand- made, cut, roasted, and not-skimpily distributed into a spiced sweet potato pie cream base. It even beats out pumpkin flavors... which is a serious compliment coming from a white girl named Brittany.

Winter - The American Licks Collection (2016) featured throwback flavors such as Black and White Cookies (cookies and cream) and Cherries Jubilee - Luxardo cherries and brandied sweet cream (pictured bottom right). It was neat to see Jeni pay homage to ice cream parlours of the past, using her trademark quality ingredients. I have to mention my favorite collection of all time: The Winter Woods Collection (2014), featuring Cedarwood Vanilla, Oregon Fir, and Birch and Marshmallows. Birch wood extract is the main flavor component of birch beer and is found in root beer, so the latter one tasted like a root beer float, with chunks of marshmallows as solidified “foam”. Oregon Fir is basically pine tree ice cream... a treat for the palate! Savannah Buttermint is another winter staple that I tend to order every time it’s on the menu.

Well... did I miss your favorite Jeni’s seasonal flavor?! Let me know!

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Snow cream - Your backyard, U.S.A.

Happy January! Guys... Nashville’s first flurries have fallen. Certainly not enough for this recipe (YET), but I wanted to get it out there to those of you having a snowy January.

The above photo is from my first ever attempt at “Snow cream” - a Southern tradition of making ice cream out of fresh snow. Almost exactly one year ago, East Nashville got 13 inches (!!) of unexpected, powdery snow. It is very important to use *fresh* snow for this recipe - the light and fluffy upper layers, not the icy stuff that has touched dirt... duh. :)

To make snow cream, combine cream or milk, fresh snow, and sugar to taste. Mix well, and enjoy. Super simple! No measurements, sorry. 

For my version, I added cinnamon and substituted honey for sugar and it tasted a lot like Chik-fil-a’s ice dream. Delicious and, considering I had all the ingredients purchased for other recipes, FREE. I hope to make a batch this winter. Send me your attempts!

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Travel Blog - Dallas, TX

Howdy! Trying something out - this post will be focused on the travel piece of my “ice cream/travel” blog, because I realized I had too many footnotes and travel tips to add to the already-long Paciugo Gelato post. 

I worked an average 10-hour work day Monday through Wednesday and didn’t stay out too late, but that didn’t stop me from squeezing in a slew of Dallas-specific activities that would impress a local... judge for yourself.

Day one - land at Love Field, head straight to Deep Ellum in hopes of lunching on Pecan Lodge BBQ. Line’s way too long. Grab ramen and wheel suitcases down the street to Monkey King: a Banana stand. Turns out this has nothing in common with my dear Bananarchy, order banana spice ice cream, check in to hotel. Client dinner at trendy Savor Gastropub in Klyde Warren Park. 

Day two - drive decently far out of downtown to pick up Hypnotic donuts for us and the client. Elvis donut is a hit, and I enjoyed their salted caramel donut. Ellen and I spent some time at the JFK assassination site and memorial. Lunch at Ellen’s Southern Kitchen (great mac n cheese, nice bartenders), work, Visit the Ritz guacalogist at 6pm, sadly too full for a dinner.

Day Three - After work, had dinner (and giant margaritas) with co-workers at an Americana spot called “the Rustic”, complete with beer can U.S. flag bar backdrop, metal longhorn statue, and free peanut butter pie for being first-timers! Ellen and I continue on to Deep Ellum where we are randomly dropped off in front of Braindead Brewing. This place turned out to be awesome. We split a flight (already dizzy from the margaritas), and I ended up buying a Dallas Beer Week shirt of the back of super cool beertender, Spencer. Went to bed. 

Day Four - Finish work, go straight to Paciugo Gelato. Follow immaculately detailed agenda to pack in all the things. Shower. Lyft to Bishop Cider Works in the Bishops Art district. Check out many cute shops and buy boots and a cuff bracelet (me) and a nativity scene (Ellen). Cider flight fell short of expectations, but still a great find as it brought us this neat little district. Had BBQ Brisket and sides at Lockhart’s next door. Had an awkward lyft to the other side of town to meet up with the client at Top Golf- Dallas. As a first timer, I hit one 12 point ball, and still feel accomplished. We flew back to Nashville the following morning.